WHEN you get to my age, tuning into the world of babies and toddlers takes a little doing - even on the PlayStation. But that's what I've been trying to do for the past week or so with Rugrats: The Search for Reptar.

Rugrats didn't mean much to me but I'm fairly sure there are plenty of young BT readers who are big fans of the top-rated American TV cartoon. And if they like the programme, they'll like the game.

As with last week's featured game (A Bug's Life) this too is timed to coincide with the release of a film. Rugrats: The Movie is out on March 26 with the game in the shops from march 5.

Developed by THQ, the game looks exactly like the TV programme with the main characters - Tommy, the one-year-old hero, and his friends Chuckie, Phil and Lil, Spike the dog and his bossy cousin, Angelica - all there and all being voiced by the show's actors, so creating a seamless join between the cartoon and the game.

It's aimed at five to 15-year-olds but I would have thought that most kids over the age of six or seven would have better things to do than play Rugrats. However, one streetwise 11-year-old put me straight. "It's a great game and loads of fun." Who am I to argue? Players take the role of any of the main characters on various adventures and activities, including a fun crazy golf session for one or more players.

But the real point of the game is to find Reptar, a giant lizard, and in the full game mode you must complete various tasks across the 15 levels to get to him.

The levels are based on popular episodes from the TV show such as Grandpa's Teeth, Circus Angelicus and Reptar 2010.

The game isn't too tricky but you will come across puzzles to solve, mazes to find your way around and obstacles galore such as tumbling water melons, splatting eggs and enemy lobsters.

Rugrats features plenty of gameplay, ranging from at-your-own-pace exploration to fast, arcade-style action and features 80 cinematic sequences to enhance gameplay.

This is one game that should keep youngsters of a certain age very nappy. JE

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.